In 1957, Edward F. Steigerwaldt Sr. established a forestry consulting company in the northwoods of Tomahawk, Wisconsin. A man of great energy and enthusiasm, Ed Sr. saw the need for forest product marketing. He designed his business to emphasize forest management, timber sale facilitation, aerial photograph interpretation, and general land consulting.
His son, Ed Jr., joined the company in 1970, creating Edward Steigerwaldt & Son, Consulting Foresters. Expanding the business to include timber inventory and real estate appraisal, they successfully completed a succession of notable inventory and mapping projects throughout Wisconsin and Michigan. The business gained a reputation for high-quality work and a commitment to forest stewardship.
With expanded services and the addition of staff members, the company name was changed to Steigerwaldt Land Services, Inc., (SLS) in 1987. The next year, SLS further diversified to offer right-of-way appraisal and acquisition services, which has remained an active and vital area of the business. Shortly thereafter, SLS became the first forestry consulting firm to introduce Geographic Information Systems (GIS) services and has been at the forefront of this technology ever since. Today, our complete range of forest and real estate services make SLS the only single-source land services company in the Lake States region.
Along with the third generation of Steigerwaldts, the original vision for superior land management, established over half a century ago, is today upheld by an exceptional staff of foresters, appraisers, GIS specialists, and real estate professionals who have the highest respect for our natural resources and an unsurpassed dedication to client satisfaction. See for yourself how SLS continues to set the standard for environmental professional excellence.
Milestone Projects
| 1964 |
Pioneered tax assessment based on aerial photo interpretation of forest cover types and timber value. |
| 1969 |
Timber inventory and appraisal of 35,000 acres in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Michigan. |
| 1971 |
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore timber inventory and appraisal of 12 Lake Superior islands. |
| 1973 |
Timber inventory and appraisals in northern Minnesota for creation of Voyageurs National Park. |
| 1979 |
Inventory and mapping of North Manitou Island, 12,000 acres. |
| 1980 |
Inventory and mapping for Blandin Paper, 100,000 acres. |
| 1981 |
Inventory and mapping for Mead Paper, 650,000 acres. |
| 1983 |
Inventory and mapping for American Can, 90,000 acres. |
| 1984 |
Inventory and mapping for Nekoosa Papers, 250,000 acres. |
| 1985 |
Timber inventory on 13,000 acres of Grand Island National Recreation Area. |
| 1988 |
Assembled first Timberland Investment Management Organization (TIMO) portfolio in Lake States. |
| 1996 |
Wisconsin Department of Transportation U.S. Highway 51 Expansion appraisals. |
| 1999 |
SLS assumes management of 35,000 acres of Wachovia (now RMK) forestland. |
| 2002 |
Forest Legacy conservation easement appraisal of 35,000 acres—the first of its kind in the Lake States. |
| 2004 |
375 parcel appraisals for Wisconsin Public Service Corporation’s Arrowhead to Weston transmission line. |
| 2006 |
American Transmission Company transmission line projects, involving mapping, acquisitions, and appraisal. |
| 2008 |
Appraisal of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for the U.S. Forest Service. |